Studio Vidro features tableware and jewelry by glass artist Ana Abraldes. Each one-of-a-kind fused glass piece is handcrafted in Oakland, CA. The designs reflect Ana’s love of color, pattern, light, contrast and rhythm. She draws inspiration from the natural and urban landscapes and from the glass itself, its challenges and possibilities.
Fused glass is one of the most ancient methods of working with glass. Also called warm glass or kiln-formed glass, it is a technique for joining pieces of glass by melting them together in a kiln. Variations in temperatures and length of firing are used to create different effects. In its original state, the glass comes in a variety of forms: sheets, frit (ground glass), rods, stringers (spaghetti-like strips). Colors are opaque or transparent, solid or streaky (mix of colors); an iridescent coating gives a shimmering rainbow effect; a dichroic (“two-colored”) coating has both transmitted and reflected colors that shift upon viewing at different angles.